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How do I back up the DPA database server via Avamar
Hello,
We're trying to backup our DPA database server with Avamar but we're getting errors because the filesystem can't read the locked, active database. I've been told that there's a script of some kind available that essentially "freezes" the database so that Avamar can back it up but I can't find it anywhere. Anyone know where it is?
Thanks.
eagarg1
66 Posts
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March 9th, 2015 14:00
To backup the DPA Datastore you need to export the database to a flat file and then backup that file.
On the DPA Datastore, run the following command to do an export to file: dpa ds export
For example, /opt/emc/dpa/services/bin/dpa.sh ds export /backup. Once that backup completes, backup the file that is created (in /backup in this case) to Avamar or other backup product.
Avamar is also able to backup a file via pipe on UNIX. The benefit of this is that you do not take up disk space on the datastore server as you backup through the pipe.
I can't confirm the exact syntax of how this is done, but the following should provide a good starting point for you to investigate this further.
mkfifo /tmp/dpa-ds-backup.dump
/opt/emc/dpa/services/bin/dpa.sh datastore export --pipeline /tmp/dpa-ds-backup.dump &
avtar -c --id=root --password=password --server=avamar_server --path=/backup_path_server /tmp/dpa-ds-backup.dump
brastedd
336 Posts
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March 10th, 2015 06:00
Thanks for the reply. While that solution will work to give us a complete backup of the datastore, it doesn't lock the database so Avamar can back up the files without causing access exceptions. Currently Avamar complains on every backup that it can't pick up the database files. With VNX M&R there's a script available that locks the database so that Avamar can read the files. I was told there was a similar process available for DPA. Is that not so?
eagarg1
66 Posts
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March 11th, 2015 04:00
No, the only supported method for backing up the DPA Datastore currently is to use the "dpa ds export" command to write the database to a flat file / pipe, and then have Avamar backup that file.
I'd suggest you contact your local EMC representative and request that they raise an RFE for the database locking functionality you described.
Regards,
Gareth
brastedd
336 Posts
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March 11th, 2015 07:00
Thanks for the reply. If that is the case, how would you suggest I avoid all the file access share error exceptions I'm getting when Avamar tries to do a VSS backup of our DPA database server? If I exclude the emc\dpa\services\datastore\data\ folder will I be at risk of missing anything important from the backup?
Thanks again.
eagarg1
66 Posts
1
March 11th, 2015 09:00
As long as you have a backup of the Datastore created with "dpa ds export" and you backup the file created by that process, then you can safely exclude the datastore/data directory from the file-level backups.
The recommend process to recover your DPA Datastore would be to reinstall DPA to the same version and patch level (and with same configuration options, such as advanced filesystem layout) and then restore the database by running "dpa ds import" and point to the database backup file you previously backed up.
brastedd
336 Posts
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March 11th, 2015 14:00
If I'm having Avamar run the command to export the backup, what location do I specify for the dpa datastore export command? The documentation indicates it should be \program files\emc\dpa\services\bin but inside that folder all I have is a file named dpa.bat. Am I missing anything or do I have the wrong location?
brastedd
336 Posts
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March 11th, 2015 14:00
Thanks very much.
eagarg1
66 Posts
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March 16th, 2015 12:00
That is the correct location and file. You would run "C:\Program Files\EMC\DPA\services\bin\dpa.bat ds export" (and optionally add arguments to export to pipe and to provide a path/filename for the backup).
eagarg1
66 Posts
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March 24th, 2015 10:00
That looks right to me ... but I really don't know much about Avamar so cannot say for sure if that will work. However I would expect that Avamar will just pass the string you specify to the agent and it will then run the script -- so I would bet that this is correct and should work. Good luck!
brastedd
336 Posts
0
March 24th, 2015 10:00
I'm trying to create the batch file for Avamar to run pre-backup. I have a couple of questions:
1) Do I need to format the command in the file for a Linux OS, with forward rather than back-slashes?
2) Our DPA server is Windows 2012, which doesn't natively support short names. Do I need a shortname for the path (i.e. Program Files) for Avamar to be able to run the command?
Here's the single command in my script:
G:\program files\emc\dpa\services\bin\dpa.bat datastore export G:\Datastore_Backup
Does that look right to you? Would you expect that to work from Avamar, which has a Linux OS?
Thanks.